Casino vote unanimous, but the take on what it means is not

Both sides of debate claim victory

SARATOGA SPRINGS >> The City Council’s unanimous vote against expanded casino gaming in the city means different things to different people — even to the commissioners themselves.

For Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco, the vote “sends the right message.”

“I want Albany to get the message loud and clear that Saratoga Springs says ‘No’” to expanded table gaming.

Accounts Commissioner John Franck believes the resolution leaves the ultimate question open. “I think there is language here where this is still a fluid situation,” he said.

Mayor Joanne Yepsen, who drafted the resolution, indicated it leaves room for negotiation.

“Until they start building partnerships and offering the community how they are going to address the needs that are in the community this is a ‘No,’” she said. “So the ball is in their court.”

The resolution stated the City Council’s “opposition to the Upstate New York Gaming Economic Development Act as it relates to a destination resort casino being placed in the City of Saratoga Springs.”

The resolution outlined potential conflicts with the city’s interests an expanded casino could represent, including competition with downtown businesses and the City Center, inadequate protection of harness track racing and a lack of local oversight.

A crowd of more than 300 people attended Tuesday night’s meeting, split down the middle of the Music Hall along the rift the issue created.

On the left side of the room sat those wearing the red shirts of Saratogians Against Vegas-style Gaming; on the right side were the Destination Saratoga supporters, wearing the white shirts of the casino-funded organization supporting expanded gaming.

After the vote, the SAVE Saratoga crowd was jubilant, but both sides claimed victory.

“The people over here are all excited about this, they didn’t say ‘no’ to anything,” said Destination Saratoga Co-Chair Dan Hogan after the vote. He said it “totally” leaves the door open for a casino to still be located in the city, something he is optimistic about.

“In the resolution they said ‘Let’s wait for the (Requests for Application)’ and they said ‘We are opposed to the law that passed,’” he said.

That was also the take of Saratoga Casino and Raceway Executive Vice President of Marketing Rita Cox.

“They made it clear they want more information,” she said. “We look forward to the day when there is an RFA and we can have an open dialogue about what is best for the city.”

The Requests for Applications will lay out exactly what the city expects in a casino application, including the size of the casino and requirements for restaurants, hotels and event space.

One condition of the application is that the applicant demonstrates local support for the project.

New York State Gaming Commission Spokesperson Lee Park said the RFA will spell out exactly how that needs to be done.

He could not comment on what the City Council’s vote will ultimately mean in the siting process.

“It’s a decision for the Facility Location Board” which will determine where the casinos will be located, he said. “They will be made aware of the vote.”

Scirocco had sponsored a SAVE resolution that was vehemently opposed to a casino expansion, but he pulled it in lieu of Yepsen’s because “to me, it means the same thing ... we oppose any expansion, that’s what the resolution says.”

SAVE agrees with Scirocco.

“The full support of the City Council rejecting a casino shows clear vision for the future of Saratoga Springs,” SAVE Co-Founder Colin Klepetar said in a statement. “We are pleased to see that the Council did not decide to wait for the RFA. It shows they understand the RFA will hold no surprises and they have presented a united front against the Casino. We hope that the Gaming Commission, the siting board and the Governor have finally realized that our community does not support siting a casino here and we hope that they will respect our collective voice.”

The 90 minutes of public comments at the start of the meeting illustrated the divide in opinion expanded casino gaming in the Spa City has among Saratogians.

Both sides had their respective opinions on the economic impact an expanded casino could have on the region.

“Live casinos do not support sustainable economies,” said one woman wearing a red SAVE shirt.

She spoke following two Saratoga Casino and Raceway employees who touted the jobs created by the casino and said expansion would bring even more.

Some cited the city’s history of gambling.

“I grew up when gambling was not this terrible thing,” said Tom Spalding, a native Saratogian who retired in the city, and said when he was a child the likes of Diamond Jim Brady and John Morrisey were heroes. “The city should not look away from the spirit of Saratoga. Respect the history and character of our community.”

Others questioned the path in front of the city.

“Please consider the future of my children and the future of my children’s children and the long-term effects of what a full-scale casino will mean to our community,” a woman in a red SAVE shirt urged the council.

There were significantly more speakers who supported the expansion of Saratoga Casino and Raceway Tuesday night, many of whom worked for the racino.

Both sides accused the other of fabricating facts and of making the discourse contentious.

With the passage of the resolution, its impact remains a question.

The Saratoga Casino and Raceway has submitted its plans for an expansion to include event space and a hotel to the city for input, but the casino’s review process takes place at the state, not the local level. She said that expansion is still progressing regardless of whether the facility is licensed for table gaming.

“There is a perception in the community that this City Council can change the law, can change the citing process ... we can’t,” Yepsen said in proposing her resolution. She urged anyone with further comments on the issue to forward them to the state government.